No-Cook Raw Corn and Chilled Shrimp Soup Recipe

Raw corn and chilled shrimp in one delicious soup.

Oh, sure, I have feasted for years on the whole-cob hot-and-steamy dripping-butter-to-your-elbows cooked corn. Summer just isn’t complete if you haven’t had your fill of that all-American summer staple. But RAW corn? I never would have tried it in a dish until the last few years of my adventurousness in the kitchen.

Let me tell you what: this soup will make you a believer in raw corn. This is not just any old raw corn recipe. This is Oooh and Aaaahhhhh raw corn. Crave-worthy raw corn. Raw corn to write home about.

This soup, the creation of my culinarily talented mom, Carol, takes minutes to make and yet is sublime and elegant. (Did I just say “elegant” and “corn” in the same post?) I was lucky enough to be in Carol’s kitchen and she and I made it together for the very first time.

Do yourself a huge favor: RUN – do not walk – to your nearest corn stand and scoop up a trunkful of cobs and make this soup. Today. Best summer dish I have had in years!

Carol Hicks and her Raw Corn Chilled Soup

– posted by Donna

“Cooking” is synonymous with “love” in Carol’s kitchen. Each meal is custom made to fit you. What you love, what you need, what fits you perfectly will be found there. No matter what weird diet you’re on, what odd thing you’re craving, she will make the earth move to get that to you on a plate.

I was lucky enough to be in mom’s kitchen in my home town of Tucson, Arizona recently. Sure, Mom always has the old stand-bys but she also is always trying new things, new recipes, and experimenting to make her food healthier, yummier, better. I thumbed through her cookbook collection and each book was stuffed with recipes from magazines, internet and newspapers. There are lots of yummy things on Carol’s “Must-Try” list. I wish I were there to try them all!

This visit there was Corn Soup that mom and I made together. Not just any corn soup, but a no-cook raw corn soup served with diced shrimp, avocados and cherry tomatoes. It was absolutely sublime, and I just had to share here.

So, whip out your blender and make this amazing feast in a bowl. I’m betting you will feel that same zen I feel every time I am in Carol’s kitchen.

With a large chef’s knife, remove kernels from corn cobs. With a butter knife, press and slide along corn cobs to remove liquid left in cobs. (NOTE: this should yield about 4 cups kernels and 1/3 cup liquid.)

Reserve about 1 cup of corn kernels. Working in two batches, blend in blender 3 cups of corn, liquid from cobs, yogurt, milk, lime juice and hot sauce. Strain through a sieve and discard solids. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Dice most of the shrimp, reserving a few whole shrimp as garnishes. Stir reserved 1 cup of corn kernels and diced shrimp into soup. Spoon soup into bowls and then garnish with reserved whole shrimp, diced tomato and avocado pieces. Serve immediately.